I sound ignorant. That's because I am. I want to know more about this, I want to understand it. If I sound insensitive in anyway while asking, I don't mean to. But I don't see how self-harming is a way to cope. I don't understand why anybody would start.

I've cut myself on two different occasions. Out of curiosity, never out of depression. Is that weird?

I know that self-harming gives off endorphin, but most people don't know that right? When they're feeling depressed, and reach for something sharp and decide to cut for the first time, what's going through their head usually is, 'Other people do this to cope with pain. Maybe it will help for me.' Right...? I wouldn't know. What is going through a person's head when they first decide to cut?

I understand certain situations... like, harming yourself because you hate yourself. But I can't see how self-harming can help with any personal problem. Why would someone start? Generally it just adds to the situation and makes it worse.


Once again, I apologize for the ignorance. I'm asking to become less ignorant. I thought this new board would be a good place to put this.

Well. Ive cut on and off for the past two years or so.

I started because of a guy.. Stupid, right? But he was mentally and emotionally abusive, and the only thing that was running through my head was that i wanted to control my pain. I wanted to control some type of pain, self inflicted or not.

Thats still what runs through my mind every time i reach for my razor. "I want to hurt". Just as much as its a coping method, its also a punishment. To punish yourself for being worthless, or stupid, or not good enough.

If youve cut only out of curiousity, DONT DO IT AGAIN.

Imagine having to explain scars to your future spouse, or your kids. "Oh, i was curious, so i used a knife to cut my arm." Its not a very smart thing to do, ever.

Yes, im being a hypocrite. .-.

>Implying that "I cut myself out of curiosity" is worse than "I had an emobitchfit as a teen and was determined to control my pain by inflicting it on myself on top of the other pain I couldn't control"

...Oh man. Have I mentioned before I find you to be a failure at most things in life?

I've never cut, or contemplated it - I function off logic and common sense. It wouldn't actually help, and if I wanted endorphins then I'd get into a fight where I can work off some stress along the way.

The most common reason I hear on this topic though is that they think "the world would be better without them". Which would be okay, if they actually killed themselves instead of cutting a little then bitching about it, or wearing it like a little badge of status.

It reminds me of when Leeching picked up popularity and people started carrying around leeches and letting them siphon blood for hours on end... Because it was the "in" thing. Some social circle did it, so suddenly it was a status-based activity.

My encompassing theory is that most people are overly dramatic about their life. Third world problems and all.

>>1 Alright, you raise valid curiosities.

There are many reasons why a person may begin/continue to cut. I have spoken to many who do, and here are some reasons:

The pain is a distraction
To get high off the endorphins
To "purify" ones self by "spilling the filth from your body"
Force of habit
To attract the sympathetic attention of others
To attain "battle scars" (This weird guy cut his face to look cool)
To attempt suicide
Curiosity about why others do it
"BECAUSE I CAN"
To spite someone who wishes them well-being (The girl was spoiled shitless)
To have something to show others, so they can see the scars cutting leaves behind. As an example of what not to do.
Having some sort of control, even if it's only over their own pain
Self-loathing


Over the last 7 years, these are the reasons I have been given for people that I've met who thought to cut themselves.

Reminds me of something that happened to my friend.

All of her friends said they cut themselves. So, she decided she would try it. She went to school and showed them, and it turned out that they were just trying to be cool by saying it and didn't actually do it. They were really freaked out and wouldn't hang out with her anymore.

>>4 The only reasons in that list that sound close to reasonable at all is "force of habit" and "as an example of what not to do." But in the former, one has to wonder the reason in the first place (which is likely to be dumb), and in the latter, there are probably better ways to do that.

Still unconvinced that there's ever a reason for it that isn't related to emobitching or bandwagoning.

>>6 That outcome sounds alright. Why would she hang out with people who said they cut themselves anyway?

My friend would do it because when she argued with her mother she felt guilty about not feeling guilty (does that make sense?). She didn't feel bad about the fight, so she got angry with herself for not being a 'good daughter' and for not responding to her mother's expectations (her mother is one of those who is always saying that she is useless and should be like her older sister). To punish her self for 'not being a good daughter' she would cut.

>>8 Sounds like she's overthinking it and sating her need for drama simultaneously.

>>8
Makes sense. Sounds like me. I'm almost never guilty about the fights I get into with my mother. I'm a pretty bad daughter. And saying it out loud sucks, because it sounds even worse.
After a fight with her my thought process is something like. "...I should feel bad. That was terrible."
"But I don't feel bad."
"....I should at least feel bad for not feeling bad."
"But I hate her."

>>7 Don't ask me :| People are idiots.

>>10
Really well put. That's exactly what I meant.

>>9
I also think it's a bit of drama, but she has a really low self-steem, isn't confident at all and being compared to her sister all the time isn't helpful. I'm not saying that it's a good reason to cut, but it's a little hard to judge if other people's problems are 'real problems' or not.
However, I agree with you, she may be looking for some drama. Maybe to get the attention she doesn't get at home.

>>10 >>12 Just because you had an argument with a parent does not mean you have to feel guilty. If you were right, or you believe that you were, then you have no reason to feel that way. The same goes for if the parent is unreasonable, or stupid. I mean truly stupid. If any of these are the case, (and I may have missed a few instances where generic moral code would be overlooked), then don't feel bad about not feeling guilty- YOU WERE RIGHT.